Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-03-14
THE LENTEN COURSE.
DEEP INTEREST EXCITED IN BISHOP KAIN'S
LECTURES.
A Discussion Of the Means Provided for ne AP-
piea6On Of The Divine Redemption
From Sin.

The very large attendance at the thiru
lecture of Bishop Kain's Lenten course,
shows a widespread interest in the great
question of Mans Redemption, which
forms the subject of these lectures
Having previously shown how fullyChrlst
had verified His title of the Redeemer OF
the human race, the Bishop last evening
discussed the important kindred question
what means have been provided for the
application of that divine redemption"
We are not saved simply because Chrlst lied
for us. Such an assertion would be sub
~versive of all religion and Of all morality.
A two-fold question therefore needs TO be
asked and answered: How are We to
know Christ as our Redeemer; and how are
we to become sharers in His redemption
We do not see Him visibly in n midst,
and cannot personally test His claims to
recognition as the man-GOd sent TO redeem
us. Yet even reason itself demands that
there must be some certain means of know
ing all the sacred truths that are so init
mately connected with our eternal
welfare. and Of coming into
union with Him through
whom alone there is forgiveness Of our sins
and the new life as children of God. For
if the Son of God so loved man as to die an
igpominiOus death for his salvation, and If
it is through the merits of His passion and
death that man is cleansed from sin and
Sanctiied, surely reason suggests and In
sists that He has not left maj without
some definite and certain means of know
ing his Redeemer and sharing in the pur-
chased redemption.
Then the Bishop detailed the plan as
found recorded in the pages of the New
Testament, by which the Gospel ofsalya-
ton was to be preached to all nations and
the graces of Christ applied to each in
dividual soul. He narrated with what
care the Saviour had formed His church,
appointed therein teachers of divine reve-
lation, and ministers through whom He
Himself applies the merits OF His redemp-
ton. These teachers as ministers OF
Christ were commissioned To discharge
their sacred ministry among all nations
unto the end of the world, the Saviour
pledging Himself TO continue with them
all DAYS in the accomplishment of their
mlSsion-which mission He declared
was but the continuation of the
mission which He Himself had
received from His Eternal Father.
The inspired history of the Apostolic
church thus organized and commissioned
by Christ, shows how this body OF
teachers of revealed truth and ministers
of grace TO men, labOred under the leader
ship of Him who had been so especially
charged to feed the whole flock OF Christ,
in preaching the gospel and administering
baptism and the other divine ordinances
by which grace was impaired to the be
Levers.
Nothing, continued the Bishop, could be
palmer than the o~ft-repeated decla-
ratiOns of Holy Scripture that it is through
HIS Church, Christ wishes the truths OF
salvation to be unerringly promulgated,
and the merits of His redemption
conferred upon men. 1t was to the pastors
of His Church that He gave the mission in
that one. emphatic word: 90. What was
the object of that mission? What were
they authorized to do in ChriSt's name:
Teach: haptise; forgive sins; impart the
Spirit of God; cOnSecIatc and distribute
His Body, and Blood for the nourishment
OF the Soulr' ~Suchbeing the work for
which he instituted His church, we can
easily comprehend the solemn import of
His declaration: "He that will
not hear the Church, let him be to thee
as the heather and the publican"
lOf this divine institution, st. Paul speaks
most beautifully in his Epistle to the
EpheSians Christ loved the Church and
delivered Himself up for it, that lie might
%sanctify it = 4 . that He might pre-
: sent it to Himself a glorious Church"
As there is no intimatiOn that the plan
!, thus established by Christ for the enlight-
ening and Sanctifying of men was ever TO
ne changed, but on the contrary most
ABUNDANT proof that il should continue TO
the end of time, it behoOveS all, remarked
=. the Bishop. To examine and assure them
selves where that Church of Jesus Christ
is to be found. 4 divine in
StitutiOn created to be the visible repre-
sentative of Christ-the teacher of truth
and the dispenser Of His graces TO men
must be of such a nature as readily To
commend itself to the acceptance of all
honest enquirerS. The marked character
i>tics of that church are clearly enough de-
lineated in Holy Scripture. The Bishop
began an exposition of these characteristics,
hut postponed the consideration of most of
+ them until next Sunday, when he will
further enquire into the practical applica-
ton of these characteristics and discuss the
question: (which is the True Church OF
Our Divine R~edeemer?'